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FAA Airline Transport Pilot (ATM) practice questions

300 free questions with answers and explanations.

Practice test
  1. 201.A pilot is briefed that a warm front is approaching the destination airport from the southwest. Which sequence of weather conditions should the pilot expect as the front approaches?Meteorology and Weather Services
  2. 202.A pilot is landing on Runway 21 (heading 210°M). The current wind is reported as 240° at 30 knots. What is the crosswind component the pilot must account for?Aircraft Performance and Weight and Balance
  3. 203.While planning a night IFR flight into mountainous terrain, a captain reviews the Pilot, Aircraft, enVironment, and External pressures categories of a personal risk assessment. He notes that the company's on-time performance bonus is tempting him to depart despite marginal weather. Which category of the checklist does this concern fall under?Human Factors and CRM
  4. 204.A dispatcher is preparing a weight and balance sheet and needs to identify which items are included in Operating Empty Weight (OEW) but are NOT part of Basic Empty Weight (BEW). Which item fits this description?Aircraft Performance and Weight and Balance
  5. 205.During a busy descent into a Class B airport, a first officer becomes so absorbed in reprogramming the FMS for a last-minute runway change that she fails to notice an altitude deviation the captain has already caught twice. Which human factors concept best explains the first officer's behavior?Human Factors and CRM
  6. 206.A departure procedure chart shows a crossing restriction of 'at or above 5,000' at a fix. How should a pilot comply with this restriction?Navigation, Air Traffic Control and Procedures
  7. 207.A modern fly-by-wire transport jet is designed with 'relaxed static stability,' meaning the natural aerodynamic center is very close to or slightly behind the CG at certain flight conditions. What is the primary reason manufacturers design aircraft this way, relying on the flight control computers to provide artificial stability?Transport Aerodynamics and High-Altitude Operations
  8. 208.A Part 121 check airman is scheduling required line checks for newly upgraded captains. Under 14 CFR 121.434, within what maximum interval must each PIC satisfactorily complete a line check, observed on one flight segment requiring a takeoff and landing?Regulations (14 CFR 117/121/61)
  9. 209.A dispatcher is using a buffet-boundary chart to select the maximum cruise altitude for a turbojet, ensuring the airplane retains a 1.3g buffet margin at the planned weight and Mach number. This 1.3g margin approximately equals the load factor produced during a level turn at what bank angle?Aircraft Performance and Weight and Balance
  10. 210.A T-tail transport airplane is inadvertently allowed to reach a very high angle of attack near the stall. The turbulent, separated wake from the wing and fuselage blankets the elevated horizontal stabilizer, drastically reducing elevator authority needed to lower the nose. This hazardous, potentially unrecoverable condition is known as:Transport Aerodynamics and High-Altitude Operations
  11. 211.A pilot initiates a right roll using ailerons alone, without rudder input. Momentarily, the nose yaws slightly to the left before the aircraft establishes the turn to the right. What causes this initial yaw?Transport Aerodynamics and High-Altitude Operations
  12. 212.During an approach briefing, a captain proposes continuing a visual approach despite worsening visibility. Several crewmembers privately doubt the plan but say nothing, wanting to preserve harmony and avoid conflict with the captain and each other. This behavior is best described as:Human Factors and CRM
  13. 213.A transport aircraft at FL410 experiences low-speed buffet onset at 1.3g and high-speed (Mach) buffet onset at 1.5g at the current weight and Mach number. Regulations require a minimum buffet margin of 0.3g above 1g level flight for cruise. Is the aircraft's buffet margin adequate, and which boundary is limiting?Transport Aerodynamics and High-Altitude Operations
  14. 214.A turbojet transport is cruising at a constant Mach number as it climbs to a higher altitude to improve fuel efficiency. As altitude increases at constant weight and Mach number, what happens to the margin between the low-speed (stall) buffet boundary and the high-speed (Mach) buffet boundary?Aircraft Performance and Weight and Balance
  15. 215.Under 14 CFR 121.663, before a Part 121 flight may depart under an operations specifications dispatch system, the dispatch release must be signed by whom?Regulations (14 CFR 117/121/61)
  16. 216.At a regional airline, ground crews have gradually stopped performing a required visual inspection step before pushback because no incident has ever resulted from skipping it. Supervisors are aware but have not corrected the practice, and it is now considered routine among line personnel. This gradual acceptance of an unsafe shortcut as standard practice is best described as:Human Factors and CRM
  17. 217.A captain becomes fixated on troubleshooting a landing gear indication problem and fails to notice the aircraft has descended 500 feet below its assigned altitude. This is best described as a loss of:Human Factors and CRM
  18. 218.During preflight on a cold, clear morning, a pilot finds a thin, uniform layer of frost covering the upper surface of the wing. Even though the frost feels smooth to the touch and appears thin, why must it be removed before flight?Meteorology and Weather Services
  19. 219.A dispatcher calculates the following limiting landing weights for a turbojet transport arriving at its destination: structural maximum landing weight 180,000 lb, climb-limited landing weight 195,000 lb, and field-length-limited landing weight 188,000 lb. What is the maximum allowable landing weight for this flight?Aircraft Performance and Weight and Balance
  20. 220.As pilot monitoring, a first officer proactively cross-checks approach parameters, calls out deviations early, and offers relevant information to the captain without waiting to be asked, while still respecting the captain's final authority. This behavior best exemplifies:Human Factors and CRM
  21. 221.A commercial pilot completes a cross-country flight in a single-engine airplane and wants the flight to count toward currency requirements. Under 14 CFR 61.51(b), which items must be recorded in the logbook entry for that flight?Regulations (14 CFR 117/121/61)
  22. 222.A dispatcher is briefing a flight into an area where a cold front is overtaking a slower-moving warm front. What frontal system is forming, and what weather characteristic is typical?Meteorology and Weather Services
  23. 223.A dispatcher is reviewing minimum crew requirements for a widebody aircraft type. Under 14 CFR 121.385, what determines the minimum number of pilots required for a given Part 121 flight?Regulations (14 CFR 117/121/61)
  24. 224.An airplane has a maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) of 400,000 lb, an operating empty weight (OEW) of 200,000 lb, and a maximum zero fuel weight (MZFW) of 260,000 lb. The maximum usable fuel capacity is 160,000 lb. At maximum structural payload, how much fuel can be loaded before reaching MTOW, and what does this represent?Aircraft Performance and Weight and Balance
  25. 225.During an ILS approach in low visibility, the captain is hand-flying as pilot flying (PF) while the first officer serves as pilot monitoring (PM). According to CRM principles regarding effective monitoring and cross-checking, which behavior should the PM primarily be performing?Human Factors and CRM
  26. 226.A first officer who has been flying the Boeing 737 for the same certificate holder is reassigned to fly the Airbus A320 for that same operator. Under 14 CFR Part 121, Subpart N, which category of training must this pilot complete?Regulations (14 CFR 117/121/61)
  27. 227.A two-pilot unaugmented Part 121 crew is acclimated and reports for a flight duty period (FDP) beginning at 0800 local time. The trip is scheduled for 4 flight segments. Using the Table B FDP limits in 14 CFR Part 117, what is the maximum FDP permitted?Regulations (14 CFR 117/121/61)
  28. 228.An airline's flight manual specifies a Long-Range Cruise (LRC) Mach number rather than the Mach number for maximum specific range (Mmr). LRC is defined as the Mach number that provides:Transport Aerodynamics and High-Altitude Operations
  29. 229.A transport aircraft is cruising at high altitude and high Mach number. The pitot-static system senses a higher impact pressure than incompressible-flow calibration would predict for the same true airspeed. What correction must be applied to calibrated airspeed (CAS) to account for this?Transport Aerodynamics and High-Altitude Operations
  30. 230.An airline is selecting a captain to serve as a check airman responsible for conducting required PIC line checks under 14 CFR 121.434. Under 14 CFR 121.411, which of the following is a mandatory qualification for this check airman?Regulations (14 CFR 117/121/61)
  31. 231.Many transport aircraft wings incorporate washout—a built-in twist reducing the wing's angle of incidence from root to tip. What is the primary purpose of this design feature?Transport Aerodynamics and High-Altitude Operations
  32. 232.A pilot experiences a sudden, intense sensation of pitching up while actually flying straight and level in smooth air, immediately after leveling off from a prolonged climb. This illusion is most likely:Human Factors and CRM
  33. 233.An airline crew briefed a visual approach in clear weather, but conditions deteriorate to marginal visibility during descent. Despite several cues suggesting a missed approach is warranted, the crew continues because they have already committed significant time and effort to the approach as planned. This tendency to persist with an original plan despite changing conditions is known as:Human Factors and CRM
  34. 234.A dispatcher is selecting a flap setting for takeoff on a runway with a close-in obstacle in the departure path. Using a greater flap extension for takeoff typically produces which combination of performance effects?Aircraft Performance and Weight and Balance
  35. 235.A pilot approaching an airport with an operating control tower located in Class D airspace calls the tower 10 miles out and states intentions to land. The controller responds, "Aircraft calling, standby," without using the aircraft's call sign. According to 14 CFR 91.129, may the pilot enter the Class D airspace at this time?Navigation, Air Traffic Control and Procedures
  36. 236.A twin-engine airliner departs at a weight above its maximum structural landing weight for a long-haul flight. Shortly after takeoff, a medical emergency requires an immediate return to the departure airport, and there is not enough time or fuel remaining to burn down to the maximum landing weight. The airplane is not equipped with a fuel jettison system. What is the appropriate course of action?Aircraft Performance and Weight and Balance
  37. 237.Under 14 CFR 61.153, what is the minimum age required to be issued an unrestricted Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate?Regulations (14 CFR 117/121/61)
  38. 238.An aircraft is in the flare, descending through a height above the runway approximately equal to one wingspan. Which aerodynamic change is occurring due to ground effect?Transport Aerodynamics and High-Altitude Operations
  39. 239.A pilot flying a manual (non-fly-by-wire) transport notices that as airspeed increases above the trimmed speed, increasing back pressure is required to hold altitude, and as airspeed decreases below trim, forward pressure is required. What characteristic does this describe, and why is it operationally important?Transport Aerodynamics and High-Altitude Operations
  40. 240.An air traffic controller issues a clearance to a flight crew: "Climb and maintain flight level three five zero." The first officer responds, "Climbing to flight level three five zero." This exchange demonstrates which CRM communication technique?Human Factors and CRM
  41. 241.A dispatcher is computing the maximum allowable landing weight for a twin-engine turbojet limited by the approach climb requirement at the destination. Per 14 CFR Part 25 certification standards, the approach climb gradient is demonstrated with one engine inoperative, in which configuration?Aircraft Performance and Weight and Balance
  42. 242.A transport aircraft encounters wake turbulence and enters a nose-high, high-pitch-attitude upset at high altitude with decreasing airspeed. According to standard jet upset recovery technique, what is the correct initial approach to thrust and pitch?Transport Aerodynamics and High-Altitude Operations
  43. 243.A pilot is planning a flight and wants to check for reports of severe icing not associated with thunderstorms along the route. Which product should be consulted for this specific hazard?Meteorology and Weather Services
  44. 244.During which stage of a thunderstorm's life cycle is the cell dominated entirely by updrafts, with the cloud composed of continuously rising cumulus towers and no precipitation reaching the surface?Meteorology and Weather Services
  45. 245.A pilot flying downwind of a mountain range at cruise altitude reports smooth, lens-shaped clouds visible above and downwind of the ridgeline, along with turbulence encountered in otherwise clear air near those clouds. What phenomenon is most likely causing this turbulence?Meteorology and Weather Services
  46. 246.A twin-engine transport's landing weight at the destination is limited not by field length, but by the requirement to achieve a positive climb gradient during a go-around with one engine inoperative. This weight limitation is known as the:Aircraft Performance and Weight and Balance
  47. 247.A dispatcher reviewing a radar summary chart notes an echo classified as VIP Level 5. What does this classification indicate about the associated thunderstorm cell?Meteorology and Weather Services
  48. 248.An aircraft is cruising above the tropopause at FL370, where the ISA temperature is -56.5°C, giving a speed of sound of approximately 573 knots. The aircraft is flying at Mach 0.80. If the actual outside air temperature is ISA+15°C instead, what is the approximate change in true airspeed (TAS) at the same Mach number?Transport Aerodynamics and High-Altitude Operations
  49. 249.Two aircraft are assigned the same oceanic track and altitude using the Mach Number Technique. The leading aircraft is assigned Mach .82, and the trailing aircraft is assigned Mach .80, with 10 minutes of longitudinal separation established at the oceanic entry point. What will happen to this separation over the course of the crossing?Navigation, Air Traffic Control and Procedures
  50. 250.At cruise altitude, an unexpected stick shaker activation catches a first officer completely off guard. For a brief moment she freezes and makes an incorrect control input before recovering and applying the proper stall recovery procedure. This initial, involuntary physiological and cognitive reaction to an unexpected event is known as:Human Factors and CRM